Godsmack

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script type="text/javascript" src="http://hb.lycos.com/hb.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ratings.lycos.com/ratings/lycosRating.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-start.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-middle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-end.js"></script> <noscript> <img src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/img/common/ot_noscript.gif?rand=28084" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <iframe frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="728" height="90" src="http://ad.yieldmanager.com/st?ad_type=iframe&ad_size=728x90&section=209094"></iframe>  </noscript> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=125 BGCOLOR="#AAAAAA" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c467d1euxmic.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Kristi Singer</b></FONT><B>     |     </b><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kristi Singer"><U><B>home</b></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Geri King"><U>Geri King</U></A>   |   <B>Godsmack</b>   |   <A HREF="id179.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Goo Goo Dolls"><U>Goo Goo Dolls</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id228.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Govt Mule"><U>Gov't Mule</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gran Torino"><U>Gran Torino</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writing Samples"><U><B>Back to Articles</b></U></A></div> <div> <B>Godsmack p</b><B>hotos</b></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=355 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Godsmack</div> <div> <B>Godsmack faces rumors and keeps rockin' </b></div> <div> Friday, July 14, 2000 </div> <div> <B>Kristi Singer, Morning Star correspondent</b></div> <div> <I>Wilmington Morning Star</I></div> <div> Copyright 2000 Wilmington Star-News</div> <bR> <bR> <div>      <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="arial" >Godsmack, who performed at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach July 7, would like to lay to rest a few misconceptions about the band.</FONT></div> <div>      From it's drummer's brief absence from the band in 1997 to its name coming from an Alice and Chains song and the band being labeled "Wiccan," Godsmack wants to keep the focus on the music.</div> <div>     Godsmack, which just completed its second album, is comprised of vocalist Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merril and drummer Tommy Stewart. The band's self-titled debut album, released in August 1998, went double platinum and their third single, Voodoo, remained on the Top 5 of Radio & Records Active Rock Chart for more than 25 weeks. </div> <div>      Mr. Stewart insists the music is about normal, everyday feelings and not the psychedelic witchcraft its critics claim.</div> <div>      "We're not a political band, we're just writing about very basic, everyday human emotions. And a lot of people can relate to them. WE get a lot of letters all the time about people saying 'Your song helped me through a hard time in my life.' And it's cool because there's something that's coming out of a record that people can relate to on a personal level and that's where the connection lies."</div> <div>      In mid-1997, Mr. Stewart quit Godsmack and was replaced by drummer Doe D'Arco, but returned permanently. He said "It's not a big thing I'm hiding. It's just not that interesting."</div> <div>      Mr. Stewart has also had to defend Mr. Erna's Wicca practices.</div> <div>      "It's unfortunate that people don't have an education of Wicca. It's kind of ridiculous in a way. It's actually very harmless...It's a kind of philosophy.</div> <div>      "At the beginning, Sully wasn't shying away from what his beliefs were. But, we're not specifically a "Wiccan" band. It' just his own personal thing."</div> <div>      And the band has had to quiet another rumor, that its name came from an Alice In Chains song, titled Godmsack. "The truth is, we were aware that it was an Alice in Chains song, but that's not where the band's name came from. The interpretation that we have for it is instant karma. You send something bad out into the world and God's going to smack you down for it ....It's a simple common thing that a lot of people believe in and live by. And the two words sound great together."</div> <div>      Now, Mr. Stewart said, it's time to get back to making music.</div> <div>      "Now it's getting to the point (where) we've done that, so let's go on to the music, the second record and let's talk about Godsmack."</div> <div>      The new album, tentatively titled Awake, is scheduled for release Oct. 31. Godsmack's follow-up comes right on the heels of its first album.</div> <div>      "I think that we thought it was important not to take a lot of time off between the first and second... And we wanted to keep the same kind of vibe and not get too stale. SO, we just got right in and idd it."</div> <div>      According to Mr. Stewart, the band feels it is an extension of the first record, with more maturity. Mr. Stewart said one of his favorite songs off the new disc is called the Spiral, "which is kind of like the Voodoo of this record. The chorus is a little more aggressive, but it's still the same kind of tribal drum thing going on."</div> <div>      Godsmack is touring with the Ozzfest lineup for a second year in a row. The concert, which hit Charlotte July 8, includes other rockers such as Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne and Incubus.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>